Chapter Four:

The Task

They were half way home when Jasmine got another flash.

“We have to go back to Japan.”

“Why?” Mitsarugi asked.

“There is a little girl who desperately needs my help,” Jasmine replied. So they turned back around.

“Stupid people always needing help…hungry…bored,” Alex mumbled grumpily. They got back over to Japan a few moments later. Arriving at the house, Jasmine started towards the door.

“Who are you?” A young woman asked. She had been crying for many hours.

“What happened?” Jasmine asked.

“Get out of here you damn kids!” Suri screamed at them.

“No wait! I can help! I’m a healer!” Jasmine started.

“A healer?” Suri asked doubted.

“Yes!” Jasmine cried. Before Suri had a chance to answer, Jasmine was already pushing her way towards Maria.

“Wait! How do I know your not lying?” Suri asked.

“No time right now. I’ll explain later. I need to get her before her soul enters the heavens.” Jasmine replied, placing her hands over Maria’s body. Again the faint glowing came from the center of her palms. From out of nowhere a ghostly figure of the little girl fell into the stiff. Her eyes jolted open and she started to gasp for air.

“Maria!”

“Mama!” The two embraced each other like forest vines wrap together.

“It was a man! He was asking me were you were but, but…” Maria broke out in a fit of tears.

“Hey its okay. You’re going to be fine.” Jasmine said in a soothing tone. “You’re going to be fine”

“How do you know? I’m still not sure if I can even trust you,” Suri said.

“What?! I just brought your daughter back to life and you can’t trust me? Are you out of your mind? Some man just tried to kill your daughter and you can’t trust a thirteen-year-old girl? Fine, whatever, I’ll leave. Lets Go guys,” Jasmine ranted.

“No, wait. Look, I’m so sorry, Its just that I am not used to having other people help me to do the things that I should be able to do as a mother. Would you please stay and train with us?” Suri apologized.

“Okay.” Jasmine answered. And that was that. For the next few weeks, the four children trained. They fought for hours on end. It wasn’t until three weeks later that they were ready to take on the quest to the light. Around four o’clock in the morning Suri was rushing them out the door. The vigorous journey to the Volcano of Light. Jasmine, Alex, Mitsarugi, and now Maria, started for the Volcano. Jasmine and Alex ran while Mitsarugi flew himself and Maria. They traveled on for three days and two nights, non-stop. On the fifth day they decided to stop for some food. They went to a café called, The Iron Fist. Members of the violent gang known as the Iron Fist owned this café. They stole from others, they murdered people, and they raped little children. The worst part of it is the fact that they never get caught. But just because they never got busted, doesn’t mean they weren’t guilty of the things they do. The four children showed up at the café and sat down. They were exhausted but they needed to keep moving, so they ordered they’re food to go. They got the food and prepared to leave when the manager, and the “big cheese” of Iron Fist walked over to them.

“Hey there little ones. I have an Idea. Seeing as you have the yen for our expensive food, you wouldn’t happen to mind forking it over, would you?” This was not a question, it was an order.

“Yeah, um, how about no?” Alex replied coolly.

“What? How dare you deny me!?” The man swung a giant, gorilla like fist at Alex’s head. He sped around the man like a tornado. On the other side of the giant beast, he said, “Hey you gorilla like loser!” He said condescendingly. The man spun around to hit Alex, but was to slow. Alex was on the other side of him again. He pulled his daggers out from the scabbard on his hips and drove them straight into the man’s back. The metallic luster of the blades was replaced by the crimson color of the man’s blood. He let out a scream of pain and was immediately surrounded by the other members of the gang. There seemed to be a dozen of them, give or take. Immediately the other people in the café fled the area. The fight was on and the only way to stop the Iron Fist from hunting you down and killing you is to gain the respect of the elder, the oldest, wisest, and most powerful of the gang. The only way to earn said respect was to kill off his groupies, Alex new this, Jasmine new this, and Mitsarugi defiantly new this. The brawl began. Mitsarugi was not very good with his powers yet so her used his fathers Katana. Slashing back and forth , he took down about three of them. Jasmine pulled out her bow and began launching arrows at the others. Alex grabbed his daggers and plunged them deep into one mans chest. He pivoted to the right and froze one man from the waste down. Jasmine seized this opportunity to snap the mans neck. She then disappeared. Alex had seen her do this many times and did not worry, Mitsarugi on the other hand freaked out. He got into a state of mind that made his eyes spark… literally. He raised his head to the sky and rain clouds began forming. They were lit up with lightning. Mitsarugi raised his hand to the sky and sucked all the lightning out of the clouds. They then dispersed leaving Mitsarugi charged like Zeus. He pointed at a man and the lightning exited his hand. It blasted through a row of men and came to settle on a tree that immediately lit on fire. He then looked at the second last guy. All he did was look, then the mans arms tore out of their sockets, his legs tore off of his body, and then finally his head ripped itself from the bloody torso. As he turned to finish off the last man, Jasmine slapped four arrows into the guys back. She then re-appeared.

“W-What happened? You were gone! Just gone! And now your back?” Mitsarugi tried to figure out what he missed, but before he managed to figure it out slow, booming applause rang out. The children turned and saw the Elder.

“Very well children. Very well indeed. You must be challengers of the Light. I on the other hand, am too old to fight for the Light. So I have a better idea. Whichever one of you survives the challenge and returns with the Light, will forfeit it to me and I will become the strongest warrior of them all. I will take the Light and then I will spare your life. If you do not give the Light to me, then I will hunt you down and slaughter you one by one in front of all your little friends. I will tear out your eyes, rip out your esophagus and choke you with it. I will dismember your entire being!” The Elder said in attempt to sway the kid’s minds through fear.

“No way! If you want the Light, then you will have to pry it from my cold, dead hands!” Alex proclaimed.

“Then you leave me no choice,” the man said. And with that, he was gone.

“I will capture the Light. I will be the best!” Alex shouted.